Mike Woodson blames himself for Carmelo Anthony’s knee injury

Carmelo Anthony took a frightening tumble on Monday night during the New York Knicks’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. After the Knicks grabbed a rebound in the second quarter, Anthony looked to receive an outlet pass and appeared to trip over his own feet. He then grabbed toward his knee in pain.

According to head coach Mike Woodson, the tumble could have been avoided if he had listened to his superstar. During an interview with “The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show” on 98.7 ESPN New York on Tuesday, Woodson revealed that Anthony asked to be removed from the game due to knee discomfort prior to falling down.

“Melo was hurt,” Woodson said. “For him to ask me to come out of the game before he actually took that spill made me realize that something wasn’t right. He’s never ever, ever, even hinted about coming out of the game [before Monday]. I play him too much in that regard. Melo’s a trooper — he’s a warrior, he’s a tough kid.

“I should have [taken him out]. Stubborn coach — I just didn’t.”

Woodson said he made the mistake of thinking ‘Melo could just play through the injury. The Knicks were trailing by more than 20 points at the time Anthony took a spill, so Woodson is probably kicking himself even more for not resting his best player. Although, New York did go on to come back and win the game.

In any event, Anthony has been diagnosed with a sore knee. The injury does not appear to be serious, but it’s safe to assume Woodson is going to be more careful about it heading forward. The Knicks ‘Melo in the playoffs more than they do right now.